Cooled electrode for metal heating



y 1948. R. K. HOPKINS 2,441,416

COOLED ELECTRODE FOR METAL HEATING I Filed June 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet lummmmxmxqrmxaxmm ATTORNEY y 11, 1948- R. K. HOPKINS 2,441,416

COOLED ELECTRODE FOR METAL HEATING Filed June 1, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 237 I INVENTOR 5 KObePZKHO I/ZMS BY- ATTO R N EY Patented May 11, 19482,441,416 v COOLED ELECTRODE ron METAL HEATING Robert K. Hopkins, NewYork, N. Y., assignor to The M. W. Kellogg Company, New York, N. Y., acorporation of Delaware Application June 1, 1945, Serial No. 596,992

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to an electrode device adapted especiallyfor use in conjunction with casting operations.

After molten metal has been deposited in a mold, it may be desirable toheat thismetal in order to control its solidification and/or to hottop"it, i. e., maintain the top portion of the metal fluid until the last tofeed and fill the shrinkage cavity below. For that purpose, one or morenon-consumable electrodes may be lowered into the filled mold until thelower ends of the electrodes are immersed in a floating layer of slag orflux, and are spaced above the top of the deposited metal by gaps ofpredetermined length. Current of suitable intensity discharged acrossthese gaps effects the necessary heating of the deposited metal. Duringthis heating operation, the deposited metal shrinks and its levelgradually falls. The electrodes are mounted for downward movement inorder to maintain these current discharge gaps substantially constant inlength as the metal level falls.

In one type of electrode hot-topping device employed, the electrodes areof metal and hollowed to permit cooling by a liquid such as water.Therefore, conduit means must be provided to deliver cooling liquid toand from the electrode device during hot-topping operations. Thisconduit means usually takes the form of long flexible hose which arecumbersome, and which are a source of annoyance and trouble because ofloose connections, fouling, etc. The use of water in longconduits isalso undesirable because of the tendency of this water to freeze duringthe winter while not in use in an open shop.

One object of the present invention is to provide a new and improvedelectrode device which has no long cumbersome hose connections, andwhich includes a compact, self-contained, circulatory unit comprising amotor-driven pump and one or more liquid-cooled electrodes.

In accordance with certain features of the present invention, theelectrode device includes a portable head having a receiver, a motordriven pump, and one or more liquid-cooled depending electrodes, allclosely united into a compact self-contained unit. This unit isconnected by a beam or'arm to a hoist by which the electrodes may bemoved up and down with respect to a mold in which the hot-toppingoperations are to be carried out.

Various other objects, features and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following particular description, and from aninspection of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of an electrode device embodying the presentinvention, and shown in connection with a mounting for said device andwith molds in which hot-topping operations are adapted to be carried outby said electrode device, said device being shown positioned inreadiness for hot-topping operations;

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionof the arrangement shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in vertical sectionof the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, the electrode device, however, beingshown in inoperative retracted position; and

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the electrode circulating system of Fig.2, but on an enlarged scale.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a plurality of molds |0, whichmay be of any suit" able shape or design according to the desired shapeof the metal to be produced, and which may be of any suitable materialfrom which molds are usually made, such as cast iron.

The cast metal H is produced in any-manner and deposited in moltencondition in the mold l0 until the desired level therein has beenreached. The metal ll may be deposited underneath a protective layer offlux or slag l2, or if desired, this flux may be charged into the moldsl0, after they have been filled to the desired levels with molten metalI I.

My new and improved electrode device for hot-topping metal in molds suchas those described, has a head l4 comprising a receiver [5, amotor-driven pump it for circulating a cool ing liquid in and out ofsaid receiver, and one or more non-consumable electrodes I! connected toand depending from said receiver, all of said members being closelyunited into a compact selfcontained unit. Although only two electrodesI! are shown, a number of these may be provided forming a so-calledsunflower group.

The receiver I5 'is desirably provided with radiating fins 20, and isdivided by a substantially horizontal partition 2! into two superposedcompartments 22 and 23. The upper wall of the receiver l5 has a hole 24through which the electrode circulating system may be emptied or filledwith a suitable cooling liquid 25 such as water. This hole 24 isnormally closed by a screw plug 26.

The bottom receiver wall 21 has a substantially horizontal bed-plateextension 28 on which is mounted an electric motor 29 for driving thepump l6. Motor 29 has its frame directly connected to the casing of thepump IE to form a small compact power pump unit. Pump it, which may beof the rotary type, has an outlet connection 30 joined to the inlet ofthe upper receiver compartment 22 and an inlet connection 3| joined tothe outlet of the lower receiver compartment 23.

Each electrode i1 is of a. material having high heat conductivity suchas copper, and comprises an outer shell 35 closed at the bottom by asubstantially hemi-spherical tip and connected at its upper open end tothe lower side of the lower receiver compartment 23, as for example, bya threaded connection to the bottom receiver wall 21. Extending intoeach electrode I1 is a slender open-ended pipe 36, concentric with theouter shell 35 and forming therewith an annular flow chamber 31. Thelower end of this inner pipe 36 is spaced a short distance from thelower end of the outer shell 35. The upper section of this inner pipe 36passes through the lower receiver chamber 23 and through the partition2|, is secured to said partition, as for example, by a threaded.connection thereto, and opens into the upper receiver compartment 22 forcommunication therewith.

By means of the arrangement described, cooling liquid flows from theupper receiver compartment 22 into the upper ends of the inner electrodepipes. 35 and downwardly through said pipes. The cooling liquid isdischarged from the lower ends of inner electrode pipes 36 directlyagainst the hottest parts of the electrodes I! at the lower tips oftheir outer shells 35, and is returned upwardly through the outer flowchambers 31 into the lower receiver compartment 23.

The compact, self-contained power pump, circulating electrode unit I4described is mounted through a substantially horizontal beam 40 to ahoisting device 4|, located in a pit or housing 39, which raises andlowers said unit. In the specific form shown, the bed plate 28 of theelectrode unit l4 is connected to beam 40, which in turn is slidable ina cross-head 42, and which is locked in adjusted slide position in saidcross-head by a locking screw 43. The cross-head 42 is connected to oneend of an oblique arm 44, the other end being rigid with a sleeve 45embracing the upper end of an upright rod 46, and adjustably lockedthereto against rotation by means of a clamping screw 41. The lower endof this rod 46 fits into a socket 48, and is held therein againstrotation by a pin 50 in said rod seated in a V-notch in the upper end ofsaid socket. Socket 48 is connected to an upright bar 52 which is guidedfor vertical movement along a fixed rod 53, and which is verticallymoved from a hoist motor 54 through a. suitable reduction gearing 55,which may include a threaded connection between the lower end of said.bar and a rotatably driven axially fixed embracing sleeve (not shown).

The device is shown in Fig. 2 in its uppermost position with theelectrodes I! raised above a mold 10. When it is desired to lower theelectrodes l I into the mold H) for hot-topping operations, the motor 54is operated to lower the bar 52, and in turn the electrode circulatingunit l4. Current is supplied to the electrodes I! in any suitablemanner, and the metal il in the molds I0 is grounded to maintain thecircuits through the current discharge gaps intervening between saidelectrodes and said metal.

The electrode circulating unit I4 may be adjusted slidably through thecross-head 42 or angularly through the sleeve 45 to position theelectrodes l'l directly above any one of the four molds I9 shown.

When the device is not in use, it may be retracted and stored out of theway by sliding the beam 40 to the right through the cross-head 42,lifting the rod 46 out of the socket 48, and supporting the part of thedevice above said socket on suitable brackets (not shown) in the housing39.

The circulating liquid 25 may be water as described, or if desired, itmay be a liquid having a lower freezing temperature. If additionalradiation for the cooling liquid is required during use, this may beprovided by passing this liquid through a coil or radiator of somesuitable design without materially affecting the compactnessself-contained characteristics of the device.

As many changes can be made in the above apparatus, and many apparentlywidely different embodiments of this invention can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the claims, it is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrode unit comprising a receiver divided into twocompartments, a pump having an outlet connected to one of saidcompartments and an inlet connected to the other of said compartments,and a non-consumable hollow electrode connected directly to saidreceiver and having two adjoining flow chambers extending therealong andconnected in series, one of said chambers being in communication withone of said compartments, and the other chamber being in communicationwith the other compartment; said receiver, said pump, and said electrodebeing united closely to form a compact, self-contained unit.

2. An electrode unit comprising a receiver divided into two adjoiningcompartments by a partition, a pump having an outlet connected to one ofsaid compartments and an inlet connected to the other of saidcompartments, and a nonconsumable hollow electrode connected directly tosaid receiver and containing an open-ended inner pipe passing throughone compartment and communicating with the other compartment, said innerpipe defining with the outer wall of said electrode an annular chamberconnected in series with the passage in said inner pipe andcommunicating with said one compartment; said receiver, said pump andsaid electrode being united closely to form a compact, self-containedunit.

3. A hot-topping rig comprising a receiver divided by a substantiallyhorizontal partition into two superposed compartments, a bed-plate rigidwith the wall of said receiver, an electric motor supported on andsecured to said bed-plate. a pump connected directly to said motor andoperated therefrom, said pump having an outlet connected to the uppercompartment and inlet connected to the lower compartment, and anonconsumable hollow electrode connected directly to the underside ofsaid receiver and containing an open-ended inner pipe passing throughthe lower compartment and communicating with the upper compartment, saidinner pipe defining with the outer wall of said electrode an annularchamber connected in series with the passage in said inner pipe andcommunicating with the lower compartment; said receiver, said pump andsaid electrode file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS being united closely to form a compact, self-Number Name Date contained unit. 1,294,688 Machlet Feb. 18, 1919 ROBERTK. HOPKINS. 5 ,231,33 SOmes Apr. 28, 1942 REFERENCES CITED FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date he o l wing references are of record in the9,200 Great Britain 1887

